Hand weights or arm exercisers are used by joggers to provide more effective use of workout time by exercising the hands, wrist, and arms while running or jogging. Proper use of the hand weights is essential to a proper workout. The inclusion of a biofeedback mechanism incorporated into the hand weight improves the effectiveness of any such workout.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,351,526; and 4,627,618 issued to Schwartz disclose aerobic hand weights having a hollow enclosure portion for carrying electronic circuitry for use in connection with exercising. Electronic circuitry may possibly be utilized with a timing device, a work load calculator, a stress-measuring apparatus, or the like. However, these configurations only provide numerical measurements during exercise and do not provide instant biofeedback which enables the user to maintain proper form or technique of the related arm movement to ensure a proper workout.
Running or jogging during hours when natural lighting is limited has become more common because of weather conditions and/or time constraints. As a result, it is necessary for improved safety that runners carry external light signals to improve their visibility to motorists and others. In addition, it is common for runners to carry whistles, air horns, or similar items to ward off potential danger as well as to attract attention if in peril.
Hand weights are produced with varying configurations. One configuration includes a wrist strap as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,057 to Wilson. The Wilson patent does not include either an alarm or a light to provide a measure of safety for the user. The wrist strap is provided merely as a means of preventing the user from dropping the hand weight should it slip from one's hand.
Another example of a hand weight design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,473 to Paquette which proposed combining the hand weight with a liquid container to enable the runner to obtain a drink from the hand weight. The Paquette device is essentially a D-shaped combination hand weight and water dispenser having a straight portion for gripping, and a hollow arcuate portion for water storage. The device includes a U-shaped reflector mounted on the arcuate portion. The Paquette patent utilizes a reflector as a safety feature. However, a reflector is effective only in a limited number of positions.
The prior art fails to provide runners or joggers with hand weights which serve a dual purpose of improving the safety of running during hours of limited lighting by providing an intermittent light for visibility and an alarm for warding off danger or attracting attention if in distress. Secondly, the prior art fails to disclose the concept of providing an intermittent light responsive to movement of the hand weight for providing immediate biofeedback. The intermittent light, in response to movement, signals the user to ensure a proper use of the hand weight for an effective workout.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.